Chronic staff shortages and recruitment issues have been an ongoing issue for Clinical Measurement Physiology departments over the past number of years.  The IICMS have been actively trying to find a solution to this and have had ongoing engagement with the HSE, Department of Health, the Higher Education Institute sector and other key stakeholders for some time now.

In an attempt to help with the shortage in graduates TU Dublin have, in the last 12 months, increased their student intake onto the undergraduate BSc in Clinical Measurement Science and commenced a graduate entry programme in Clinical Measurement Science September 2021.

Today we are delighted to announce the launch of a Masters in Clinical Measurement Physiology by Atlantic Technological University.

Graduates from this programme will gain an entry to practice level qualification, which will allow them work as a clinical measurement physiologist in Ireland.

Initial discussions about developing a course began in 2020 when Dr Jeremy Bird, Head of the School of science in the Sligo campus, made contact with IICMS president Tanya Byrne.  After a number of preliminary meetings led by Dr Bird and Dr Thomas Smyth, Head of the Department Health and Nutritional Science from ATU Sligo and Tanya Byrne and Karen Dobbyn from the IICMS, working groups were formed by both parties and work began in earnest on developing the course structure and modules in the latter half of 2021.  Dr Bird and his team displayed a strong commitment to developing a course while keeping the professional body involved at every stage of development.  This strong collaboration has resulted in the development of this MSc in a very short timeframe.  The commitment of ATU Sligo to the process was underpinned by the recruitment of lecturers in Clinical Physiology, one of whom took up post in February 2022.

We are extremely proud and grateful for all the hard work undertaken by our working group, without whom development of this programme would not have been possible.

President Tanya Byrne spoke about the work of the IICMS team,

“The commitment and dedication displayed by all members of the working group was extremely impressive and I was delighted to work alongside them on developing this course.  I would like to extend gratitude on behalf of the IICMS to each and every person involved in the process. I am especially delighted about the inclusion of GI as an option for students, this was essential from the professional body’s point of view as that discipline is not available as an option on the current course in TU Dublin.”

Karen Dobbyn, Director of Professional Development, spoke about the impact the increase graduates would have on service delivery,

“The increase in clinical measurement gradates will have a such positive impact on the ability of departments to develop and expand the range services they are providing in both the acute and community sector. The crucial role Physiologists play in performing and reporting on diagnostics tests along with ongoing technological developments will provide graduates with a valuable and varied career path in the healthcare”

Members of the working group are as follows:

• Tanya Byrne, IICMS President and Vascular
• Karen Dobbyn, Director of Professional Development for IICMS
• Andrea Ballantyne, Cardiac
• Tracy Moran, GI
• Patricia Lawlor, GI
• Maura Connell, Neurology
• Aimee Byrne, Neurology
• Orla Wynne, Respiratory
• Aisling McGowan, Respiratory
• Gráinne Buicke, Vascular

We have every confidence that all members will welcome this development and departments will support the practice education of students on this new course.  Further details and information can be found  here.